Testimony Underway in Lakeside Suit Against Effingham County Board

Testimony is underway in Lakeside EMS' lawsuit against the Effingham County Board.

The suit arose in regards to the County Ambulance Ordinance that at one point offered exclusivity to one ambulance service. That led to the County filing a cease and desist order against Lakeside, after receiving reports that Lakeside was handling calls in the county and had established a base of operations here. The county board amended the ordinance in April 2020 to remove the need for a letter of authorization for ambulance services other than the one contracted by the County and removed the Standard of Care for other services. There is still exclusivity on 911 calls. Abbott EMS currently is the contract holder.

Lakeside Co-Owner and Operator Jerrod Estes testified that the actions taken including a cease and desist order and a temporary restraining order against Lakeside operating "follows us like a black cloud", saying that when people research the company, they see the TRO. Estes also denied that Lakeside had a base of operations in Effingham County at the time those actions were taken against the company.

County Board Chairman Jim Niemann testified most of the day. Niemann, who originally was a co-defendant in the case, said the actions were taken to maintain Abbott EMS' exclusivity in calls. The County began awarding an exclusive contract since before Niemann's time on the board. Niemann testified that former county board member and Ambulance Oversight Committee member Mike DePoister told him that he saw two Lakeside vehicles in Effingham, indicating that the firm had a base here. That led to the actions to shut down any operation in the county, and to the suit by Lakeside against the County Board. 

Lakeside began operating in Effingham County in 2020, once the amendments to the Ambulance Ordinance were approved. 

Niemann said the actions to maintain exclusivity of the ambulance service were a response to his time as a city police officer in the 1990s when multiple ambulance services operated locally and complaints about "jumping calls" were common, rather than the services being content with complying with the rotation system in place.

Lakeside is seeking damages for potential losses of revenue and reputation as a result of the actions taken by the County Board.

Testimony is to resume at 9:30 Wednesday morning. The bench trial is being conducted before Judge Stanley Brandmeyer of Clinton County after local circuit judge Jeffrey DeLong recused himself from the case in recent weeks.